Beneath the Howling Stars
by Darknightdestiny
Summary: [Vincent x Tifa] Training exercises with Vincent can often be quite the surreal experience. For Lunarblade Valentine.


**Beneath the Howling Stars**

Rachel "D" Winslow

For  
Lunarblade Valentine

It was unnerving, feeling so exposed; no bits of fallen steel to hide behind, no abandoned, dilapidated hovels or vacant alleyways in which to wait with baited breath until the end came swiftly.

She worked slowly, carefully, quietly...so as not to make one sound. Avoiding the soft shimmer of the moonlight as it gleamed through the crumbling leaves overhead, she weaved her way through the tall grass. The blades tickled her skin as she slid past, slipping in and out between dead trees. The lush flora that gave way beneath her shoes was cool and soft against her calves, and she couldn't help but enjoy the sound of silence that seemed to emanate from the steady twinklings above when the howling winds were kind enough to give her pause.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to stay focused.

The dark night ambience was certainly enticing, and she wanted nothing more than to fall to her knees, ready to wrap herself in the inviting green, to fall asleep staring at the bright, full moon, despite the chill air. She hadn't wanted to spend such a perfect evening on what seemed like such a needless exercise, but it seemed the only way to secure the undivided attention of her current pursuer. It was an odd sort of flirtation, but she was quickly learning that it was necessary, for he was an odd sort of character himself.

Her eyes took a moment in contemplating a peculiar, small and crimson-colored blossom, which had somehow managed to find its roots in the abundant, green corridor floor amongst the hollow and ghostly halls, shadows of destruction past. She lost all feeling of apprehension as she thought about this, claret eyes trailing the soft carpet, bright under the light of the moon, even beneath the decaying leaves that littered it.

He was not odd in a way that put her off, to say the least. Rather, it was this quality that had captured her interest. He only stood out, like he didn't belong in the existence she had grown so accustomed to, not as a sore thumb, but as something antique and genuinely timeless. He seemed to function on a different plane, an otherworldly relic lost in a new age, one of things forgotten, where frivolities were uplifted and actions were automated, rather than based on concrete emotion.

She had ceased all movement, lost in her reverie as her gaze followed the deadened roots that led up from the ground at the foot of the tiny flower. The gnarled, grey and rotting claws that had sunk their fingers into the dirt were clinging to it, unwilling to let go as the weight of the branches they upheld threatened to snap hollow trunks. Above her, thin and wiry arms entwined to form a canopy, but the sparseness of the remaining paper-thin leaves did nothing to conceal her from the revealing light. High above her bare awning, those bright pinholes in the sky sang the same, unrelenting pulse they had five, ten, even thirty years ago.

There were some things that stood the test of time, and others that could never remain the same, no matter how hard one tried to hold on to comfortable familiarity.

The landscape reminded her of an enchanted graveyard, full and shining moon illuminating the bewitching, splintered wooded green and pulpous moss, an entrancing backdrop cradling the old abandoned mansion. She knew better; the caretaker preferred his victims veiled in obscurity, skeletons hidden deep within the confines of basements, thin husks, bare remnants of human features visible from plastron windows in the viscera of a clandestine tomb of twisted metal...

Her would-be cemetery was instead a banquet hall where new life feasted on ancient memories as the heavens and earth met at the firmament, communing with each other, whispering stories, old legends of lives past. She was certain she and her companions had left many a solid imprint on the heart of the planet, and she hoped she would live long enough to gift the entities other interesting tales.

Distracted senses were brought to attention as the abrupt snapping of a brittle twig assaulted bejeweled ears; it was intentional, she knew, for the instant she leapt into flight, she was silenced by a breath of moist leather, rough and warm as the possesor's arm wound around her body, stilling her in mid-sprint. For the fourth time that evening, she had lost at his game, too caught up in the many things she'd been given to thinking about lately. And though a great deal of what was, so far, a mild flirtation had been built on smug rivalry and a slight student-teacher complex, she had a hard time minding the fact that she had been captured yet again.

Warm breath descended on her skin, low voice singing dangerously close to her ear, and she could envision her assailant's perfectly shaped, pitch-colored eyebrow raised in amusement at the way the air had caught in her lungs when he'd laid hold on her. His voice was lazy, heavy and restricted, though not without energy as he prepared her for their next run, golden extremity taking advantage of her frozen position as he reached around to hold her right wrist tightly, effectively pinning her left arm at her side.

"Hmm. It seems I've apprehended you once more..."

She fought the heat rising in her chest when his fleshly hand just grazed her breast as it fell, trying to force the drought in her throat to dissipate. Not wishing to draw his attention to a standstill, she bit her lip, searching for an answer to his unspoken question, all the while wondering whether or not the contact was premeditated. "...I'll never be able to outrun you. You're too fast-"

"You need not run." He pulled her back against him when she tried to turn and face him, as he always did when she tried to side-step the boundary he had set. For now, she was his prisoner; he never let her see him when he hunted her, not until the game was over and he had tired. The only time she was to be rewarded would be if she were to catch a glimpse of him as she evaded his presence made known, and if that were the case, then he felt she had earned it. "Clothe yourself in darkness. Let the din of the night wind mask the sound of your movements."

"You'll hear." She huffed in defeat and, perhaps, some mild amusement. "You always do..."

"Mmm," he hummed. "You were transfixed. Careless..." The accusation ended on a sighing note, not quite disappointed, but a bit weary if nothing else.

It was what she had wanted, after all. She thought to exceed him was impossible and a waste of time, though she couldn't deny the thrill of the chase. But she suspected part of her became resigned to that fact at the very outset of the hunt, and her inattentive state was a product of the end she awaited. It seemed she spent most of her time anticipating her capture, as if being held was in fact a release she very much desired, and rather than avoid it, she held back in her efforts to evade him. Each and every time he held her, she had to fight the urge to root herself to him, to hope that if she stayed close for long enough that a part of her might bind to him, that her skin might melt into his, wild molecules colliding, thoughts and feelings mingling in the space between, merging synapses, reacting as one as they bridged the chasm.

She wanted that moment to last her through the night, wanted only to keep him still long enough that she might soak up his warmth and carry it to bed with her, that it would hold her until dawn, that his touch would linger on her skin and echo in her bones, replacing the usual longing she felt in the middle of the night when thoughts of him kept her from peaceful slumber.

She could think of several imprints she would like to leave in the isolated acreage.

"Daydreaming..." he whispered into the soft juncture above her shoulder.

She jerked abruptly in his grip, only to find that no resistance met her, and she slipped to the dewy terra firma. She fell free with no arms to stop her, and when she had looked to him for help, she realised that he had gone. It was at this point that she became quite animated, jumping to her feet with such fervor that her frustration was evident, if not pronounced. She clenched her hands into fists and scanned the area, ready to pounce on him, both physically and verbally if given the chance.

There had been nights where she would have killed for something as simple as dinner and a show, but she had quickly gotten over that, having learned that being inducted into his world was much more charming than stale convention. It seemed he was becoming a new breed of recluse, more than willing to agree to a nocturnal outing, but uninterested where a daytime walk through their own private ghost town was concerned.

Now, though, her irritation was giving way to resentment. It was becoming a rather lonely practice and she was outright vexed at the recurrent letdown. Her eyes were quickly filling with wet affliction, distress made clear by the lump forming in her throat. She had always been enthralled by his act of stalking her in the secluded enclosure, overcome by an excited sort of asphyxiation when she sensed his presence gravitating towards her. Something rose up in her when she thought of this, and she swallowed the tension that had been suffocating her for the several minutes she had spent contemplating her next course of action.

The next gust that blew over her exposed face proved warmer than before. She raised her head to the sky to see a gathering of clouds, like so much smoke choking out the moon. It was going to rain, and soon; he had clearly lost his mind if he wanted to keep her out all night. Yet, while she had lost her motivation to humor him, she couldn't bring herself to trudge back to the mansion without a confrontation, lest she bring him down by showing him outright that her heart was not in this.

Sanguine eyes eagerly drank her in, regarding her annoyance and impatience, aroused by the sheer force of her movement and spellbound by her fascinating fixation on him. He observed her graceful lean as she started in one direction, only to pause in dormant thought. Her often bare legs were clothed in black pants, so as to keep out the chill night air, divided into different lengths by zippers. He noted that she'd shed them just below her calves - healthy mounds of lean muscle, lovingly sculpted by her sensei's hands - so they wouldn't brush against her sneakers and slow her movements. Even peaking out from beneath the hem of her white hooded sweatshirt, the thin material still accentuated her curvaceous backside as it hung faultlessly from her hips, the creamy white skin of her stomach just barely visible as she moved with unhindered fluidity.

He held a soft spot for the way the street fighter's long hair fell in soft whisps from the haphazard knot with which she had restrained it. Touseled shocks of folded hair protruded from the back of her head, the ends bouncing as she moved, stray bangs coming to frame her face in perfect disarray, and he wouldn't have it any other way. He knew that she did not care whether or not the tiny bits of metal on her pants chimed softly when her feet hit the ground, or that he could catch the delicate scent of orange blossom on her when he was still several bounds away, lotion she had not refrained from using.

Her lack of interest in eluding him this evening did not stifle his urges to reach out and draw her into his tight embrace again and again. He was not ignorant of the fact that her passiveness was due to a growing interest in pursuing other activities with him that would require a steady presence rather than a fleeting one. This did, however, lessen the challenge.

She had not moved from the spot in which he had left her, a sure sign that she was not going to let him continue to take pleasure in teasing her. Very well, then; if she was going to try to put him out of it, he would have to bend the rules in his favor.

He commenced a hushed circling of his prey, idling amongst the shadows, winding around rotting ankles, stepping over fingers long frozen in time and slowly making his way across the sleeping terrain towards his desired objective. She was still casting glances in every direction, her eyes flitting to and fro over the scenery; he had to be careful not to lose himself the element of surprise. Already, his fingers twitched beneath soft leather, the inside of which had become too slick for his liking.

He orbited her twice, managing to keep her unaware of his proximity, watching, divining his choice moment. She was oblivious to his presence, and her guard was no match for him; any moment would do, but he was waiting for _his _moment, the _right _and _perfect _moment in which he would seize her from her unknown phantasm and bring her crashing to the earth.

If it had been lightning, she wouldn't have known the difference in the time she was given; she was helpless, brought down beneath the weight of her companion as he came vaulting from the darkness that pressed against her back. Inhuman reflexes guided his claw to the nearest tree, and the sleek digits ripped into the frail bark, mangling and peeling it away as he pivoted, snaking his path around the foot of the splintering frame to let her down gently, though without hesitation, to the soft dirt floor. When her lashes fluttered open, she was greeted with intimately familiar crimson. Fiery, celestial bodies danced with flecks of golden, amber sunspots against veiled white skin, interspersed with a satiny black that rivaled the purest void.

She lost herself in his eyes for a moment, lips parted and breathless from her start, before she regained control of her senses. Soon, a sharp intake of air forced its way in through her open mouth, and her own eyes narrowed in indignation. "You-!"

He pressed himself to her, bruising with urgency, and an imperious smirk inched its way over his features when she surrendered a gasping reservation from her body, lightly tinged with a soft moan. He lowered his head to again sing low in her ear, the tip of his nose gracing her skin, a feather-light touch. "I believe I've found what I was looking for..."

Involuntary shivers ran through her as she grasped for anything to compensate for the amazing dexterity he displayed during his violation. "How long were you watching?" she whispered, breathless.

"You have not moved from this spot," he replied, lifting his neck to view her wary expression, eyes narrowed as he rooted her to the ground with his sinewy frame.

Her brow furrowed in displeasure. "And you were supposed to make a fair exit before returning," she replied sharply, squinting her eyes for emphasis.

"Indeed...one cannot expect enemies to play fair," he returned, a bit smug, as if imparting a revelation to her.

"We're not enemies," she stated flatly.

"Nor agreed opponents?" He raised one eyebrow in expectation of another smart remark, but it never came, as the couple's banter was interrupted by the sound of thunder overhead.

"...Indecision," she intoned softly, voice quieted in preoccupation with the hazy dome above. She could feel the humidity soaking the air, vapors dancing in the atmosphere, washing over the two of them as they lay entwined in their rough bed of grass. Barely parted lips issued forth a near imitation of her own words. "I hesitated."

"In real life, there are no second chances." His smooth voice washed over her center, stilling her breath. She would have protested, but she understood his meaning; while one can receive a new moment by grace, he can never change a previous one. "You must surrender now, for you are mine." Her heart skipped a beat. She suddenly felt so small and breakable beneath this man, staring beyond disheveled ebony into endless oblivion.

Her distracted scrutiny of the assembly that had fallen over their hidden sanctuary was cut short by a frictionless touch on her skin. Her view was quickly replaced by blood-stained irises, warm and wet, pulsating glass that held a life of its own behind heavy-lidded, sweeping, black raven feathers. Soft lashes brushed against her own, tickling surface tension as his nose skimmed up and down her face, perfectly sculpted tip kissing her brow and nudging at her chin and neck, mouth delivering a rush of heat to permeate her slender, creamy throat. Corners of anxious lips tugged into a rare smile at the sound of another shuddered gasp from his prisoner.

The rain fell on them, sprinkling luminous beads on naked features, lightly covering the two in a cleansing bath, which their fevered skin gladly devoured.

There was a loud crackling in the air as a flash of lightning illuminated the sky, followed by a deafening boom that reverberated in the molten core of the earth beneath them. The intensity of the shower increased to a torrential downpour, and she raised her voice, fighting for dominance against the steady sound of water beating on the ground all around them.

"You're relentless!" she shouted over the storm, smiling through the droplets that pooled at her hairline and streamed down her face, pouring through her already soaked hair.

His own smile widened in genuine satisfaction, and he allowed himself to indulge in her apparent resignation. "You leave yourself vulnerable!" he shouted back, ending in a soft chuckle. The atmosphere raged above the gunslinger and his captive, thunder and lightning competing powers within the restrictive confines of gravity.

At his reply, she was filled with the urge to sting him, but she could only huff in disbelief, following with heated reply. "You've forgotten your self-control!"

He brought his head close to hers, startling her and causing her to fidget endlessly within. He parted his mouth to speak, a soft smile on his lips and in his voice, even tone just barely winning out over the near-lull in the battle overhead. "...In the worst way." Earnest eyes grabbed hold of something deep within her and held on tightly, refusing to let go until his answer had sunk in.

He descended on her open mouth with a crushing kiss.

The shock that had paralyzed her features faded in realization, and her hands came up around his neck to tangle themselves in midnight tresses, threading waves through his hair and loosing more rainwater on her skin where the flooding cascades could not reach. Her soft touch calmed his spirit and slowed his movements, lips giving way to thoughtful consideration, lighter, sensitive touches that unveiled patience and a desire to explore each moment to its fullest. He was hot breath, soft mouth and warm tongue, and she could feel the heat rising in him, racing heartbeat pounding through the thin, black tee-shirt he wore, soon spreading to the rest of his body, his pulse detectable even through the leather that clothed his legs.

The kiss was broken, his lungs burning for air, but he didn't pull away; he only hovered in the imperceptible distance between their open mouths, sharing in the sweet scent of heated breath amidst the harsh and cooling wind. A chill racked her body when his fingers started down the length of her figure, cradling her tight curves in his shaking hands, a shuddering sigh against her mouth betraying his lapse in confidence. The both of them were soaked through and freezing, but if he ground her into the soil and drowned her, she knew she would die happy.

She nearly lost her mind when she felt him shift above her, and he grabbed a fist full of her hair, pulling back and starting at her throat. He was nipping, brushing, tasting her skin as if coaxing forth the breath that had caught beneath his teeth, slowly driving away her sanity. All she could think to do to hold on while bound in his tight grip was to concentrate on feeling his pliant physique through his wet clothes.

Glistening bodies glowed under electric lights, resounding with the trembling rhythm of the skies. The two exploded with a burst of energy before turning in on themselves, smoldering trails etching glyphs of their presence into the earth. They became an unrestrained, living force beneath a dark veil of night, pawing at the ground, clawing at its roots, reaching for anything that might provide leverage. Cosmic howls stifled cries as fragrant, wet dirt was violently displaced in the struggle, and ragged, uprooted blooms were crushed to pieces as they inched across the surface of the planet, a writhing fire blazing fierce reflections of miniscule deaths and new beginnings.

**End**

_Final Fantasy VII and its characters © 1997 Square-Enix Co., Ltd._


End file.
